Many years after being pushed into disuse and neglect, the final remaining houses and other buildings in De Monte Colony, Alwarpet, which even inspired a blockbuster horror Tamil film, were demolished on Sunday. The neighbourhood – named after the Portuguese businessmen who subsequently bequeathed all the property in his name for charity – has been in the news for a long time as it was considered ‘haunted.’
A small section of residents, including former urban planners, were continuously fighting against alleged malpractice in the handling of property, sources said. Even as events leading to the demolition of properties at De Monte Colony made residents curious, the Chennai Corporation said it is yet to receive any request for building approval or planning permission for redevelopment of the prime land. Jhansi Rani, Councillor from Ward 123, said at least 18 dilapidated buildings were demolished in the past fortnight.
According to Madras-Mylapore Archdiocese, which manages the property, a decision on redevelopment of the land is likely to be taken in a few weeks. Convener of the Forum for Catholic Unity M.G. Devasahayam said the land measuring 186 grounds was meant to fund and support institutions set up to care for “poor orphans, widows, and distressed families.” There were lot of irregularities and they had been fighting against it for more than a decade., he said.
The colony has been in the news for a
long time as it was considered
the ‘haunted’ area of the city
